Euxanthe crossleyi, commonly known as Crossley's forest queen, is a butterfly in the family Nymphalidae. It was first described by Christopher Ward in 1871 under the original name Godartia crossleyi.
Description and Range
The species is found across a wide belt of central and eastern Africa, including Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Zambia, Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, and Tanzania. Its typical habitat consists of lowland evergreen forests and riverine forests.
Behaviour and Ecology
Adults are attracted to fermented bananas. The larvae (caterpillars) feed on plants of the family Sapindaceae, including Blighia zambesiaca, Blighia unijugata, and species of Deinbollia and Phialodiscus.
Taxonomy and Subspecies
The species belongs to the genus Euxanthe (subfamily Charaxinae), whose members are commonly called empresses or forest queens. Four subspecies are recognised:
- Euxanthe crossleyi crossleyi – Nigeria, Cameroon, Gabon, Congo, Central African Republic, western Democratic Republic of the Congo, north-western Zambia
- Euxanthe crossleyi ansorgei Rothschild, 1903 – southern Sudan, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, western Kenya, western Tanzania
- Euxanthe crossleyi claudiae Rousseau-Decelle, 1934 – southern Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Euxanthe crossleyi magnifica Rebel, 1914 – eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, north-western Tanzania
Etymology
The species is named after Alfred Crossley, the collector of the type specimen.
